


The Touching of Flesh

by pandorabox82



Series: The Curiously Bright [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-13
Updated: 2013-05-12
Packaged: 2017-12-11 17:19:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/801182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Penelope receives devastating news about the team, she turns to a very unexpected person for comfort. But how will the others react when the find out the strange bedfellows she's made and how will she react to them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Though it was getting late, Penelope was still waiting to hear from one of her teams. It was odd that she hadn't heard from them, they should have touched down on the tarmac by now. A sudden knocking on her door caused her to jump and she called out in a strangled voice, "Come in, the door's open!"

The door opened, and silence greeted Penelope. Turning in her chair, she saw Section Chief Strauss staring at her. "Do you need anything, Ma'am?" she asked, turning back to her computer screens. Once more, silence greeted her and she looked back at Strauss, noticing this time the red-rimmed, puffy eyes and air of sorrow about the woman. "What's wrong?" she asked as she stood and took a step towards the other woman.

"You, you probably want to be sitting down for this news, Ms. Garcia," she stammered out, not looking at Penelope. They sat on the couch and Strauss primly clasped her hands in her lap.

"Will you please tell me what's going on?" Penelope could feel the panic building in her chest and she hugged herself to keep it in.

Erin looked into her eyes and the sorrow Penelope saw there caused her to gasp aloud. "We haven't heard from the team in two hours. They've gone off radar and are presumed lost. I'm so sorry, Penelope." All pretense of aloofness disappeared as she burst into tears. Penelope began sobbing as well and fell into Erin's open arms.

"Not even Morgan?" she choked out, burying her head in Erin's neck.

"No. There's been no contact with any of them." Penelope felt the other woman rub her back gently and she clung to her all the more, desperate for a comforting touch. Her sobs showed no signs of ceasing and still Erin held her, stroking her hair softly.

"Shh, Penelope, try to gather control back. You're going to make yourself sick," she whispered, kissing her temple.

Penelope drew in a shuddery breath and swiped at her eyes. "I-I can't believe…" She trailed off, struggling to keep control over her emotions. "I want to go home. Maybe, maybe one of them have called there."

"I'll take you. You're in no condition to drive." She helped Penelope up and Penelope curled an arm around her waist, unwilling to let go of Erin Opening her drawer, she pulled out her purse, slinging it over her shoulder. Together, they entered the bullpen and Penelope felt every eye on her as they slowly descended the stairs. She tried to ignore them, ignore the pity in their eyes, but felt her shoulders start to shake once more.

Finally, they were in the parking garage and Erin was opening her car door for her. Penelope climbed in and buckled up, giving lackluster responses to Erin's gentle probes on directions. Once at her apartment, Erin parked on the street and followed her up. "I'm home now. I'll be fine."

"At least let me make you a pot of tea," she responded and Penelope nodded. Like a wraith, she moved over to her phone and saw she had a message. Without thinking, she pressed the button and heard Morgan's voice drift out from the machine.

"Hey, Baby Girl. I guess, by now, they'll have declared us missing. I only have a few minutes; I want to spend them with you in spirit. Oh god, Baby Girl, I'm so sorry to be leaving you like this. I hope the pilot can land the plane, but I'm not holding out much hope. You're my best friend, Penelope, and I love you. Never forget that. Ah, my sweet solace, I wish I could give you happy words as my last, but I can't find them in me right now. Reid was right, I should have settled down with you, had a family, left a legacy. Penelope…" His voice became garbled by static and she couldn't make out anything else he said. A coldness seeped out from her core and she wrapped her arms around herself to try to warm up.

Feeling Erin next to her, she turned and stared at her bleakly. "I need to feel something, anything, right now," she whispered as she leaned forward and kissed the other woman. Penelope felt her stiffen in shock and buried a hand in her hair to keep her from pulling away. Finally, Erin surrendered to the kiss, melting into Penelope's arms.

"We shouldn't be doing this. I'm your boss, Penelope, and you're in a very vulnerable place right now. It wouldn't be right if I –" Penelope cut her words off, kissing her hungrily.

"I don't care," Penelope said against her lips, bringing her hands down to fumble with the buttons on Erin's shirt. Once she got it open, she trailed kisses down Erin's neck, maneuvering her over to the bed. Penelope pulled her down with her, sucking on the pulse point of Erin's neck. Hurriedly, Penelope unclasped Erin's bra, pulling it from her body before making short work of her own dress and bra.

The feel of Erin's soft body against her own caused her to tear up once more. She wrapped her arms around Erin's waist and pulled her closer, trying to lose herself in the other woman. She heard Erin sigh and then felt her lips once more on her forehead. "Oh, Penelope. Are you certain you want this?"

Penelope deliberately nodded and lifted her lips for a kiss. She tasted salt on Erin's lips and hesitantly lick at the evidence of Erin's tears. Her lips parted and Penelope felt her tongue touch hers. Moaning slightly, she felt Erin nip delicately at her tongue before kissing down her neck and chest. She bit her lip as Erin drew one nipple into her mouth, suckling strongly. Wanting to do something with her hands, Penelope felt along the waistband of Erin's skirt, seeking the zipper. Slowly, she pulled the tab down, then slipped her hands under the skirt to cup Erin's ass. She released her nipple and began to kiss down Penelope's body, stopping just above her panty line to take a deep breath, hooking her thumbs in the elastic to pull them down.

Erin ran her fingers along Penelope's folds and she felt her hips move restlessly, opening for the other woman easily. "Please, Erin," she whimpered, guiding her fingers to her core. Erin's thumb brushed against her clit and Penelope orgasmed, muffling her scream with her other hand. She pulled Erin up flush against her, kissing her once more. "Please, don't leave me." Penelope rested her forehead against Erin's as she closed her eyes. "I couldn't bear it if you left me, too."

"I won't leave you tonight, I promise." Penelope snuggled into Erin's open arms, her heart still frozen in her chest. Hot tears coursed down her cheeks and she felt Erin wipe them away, then pull her closer, wrapping her arms around her waist. "What am I going to do with you, Penelope?"

"Keep me safe," she murmured as she fell asleep, the demons at bay for the moment.

In the morning, she woke up, warmth filling her being. Without opening her eyes, she turned into the source of the warmth. Running her hands along the curves next to her, her eyes suddenly snapped open, her mind catching up with reality. "Oh god, Erin, what have I done?" she asked as she sat up in bed, pulling the sheet to cover her blushing body.

Erin quickly masked the hurt look in her eyes as she sat up as well. "Nothing I didn't let happen to me. You needed comforting last night and I was more than glad to give it. I'll be leaving now." She made to get up, but Penelope stopped her, putting her hand on Erin's shoulder.

"Stay, please. You deserve so much better than this, than some random fuck in some random bed."

Erin shook her head as she laughed mirthlessly. "Tell that to my ex-husband."

"Oh, Sugar, if he didn't know that about you, he wasn't worth keeping. Kevin lost sight of that in me, and I lost him." Without thinking, she leaned forward and kissed Erin sweetly, her eyes filling with tears once more. "My life has been turned completely upside down in the last twelve hours, and you remain my only constant. And I know this is incredibly selfish of me, but I don't want you to leave me yet. Hold me?"

"Of course, Penelope," she answered, not looking at her as she opened her arms. Penelope laid her head on Erin's chest, listening to her heart beat as she ran her fingers through her hair. Penelope felt the tears fall down her face under the gentle touches she was receiving. Her husband must have been mad to give this sweet comfort up.

She must have fallen back asleep, because the next thing she knew was feeling Erin slip out of bed and the sound of water running. She got up out of bed and padded over to her dresser, pulling out a pair sweat pants and an oversized shirt. Once she was dressed, she made her way to the kitchen and started to cook a light meal for them. She heard footsteps behind her and whirled around to see Erin standing there, wearing one of her nightgowns.

"I hope you don't mind that I raided your dresser for something to wear. Have you called work yet?"

"No. I couldn't bear to talk to anyone there right now. Besides, you know where I am, that's good enough for me." Erin nodded and sat down at the table while Penelope served them. They ate in silence, Penelope forcing herself to eat, knowing she needed to keep her strength up. She could feel Erin's eyes on her occasionally and smiled at her, though it felt more like a grimace at times. Together, they did the dishes, then Penelope went into the living room, curling up on the sofa.

Erin joined her moments later and Penelope leaned into her, pulling her arm around her shoulders. "He loved me, Erin," she whispered as she splayed a hand out over her stomach. "More than as a friend and I never knew. I always figured I wasn't his type, you know. At first, our banter was the only thing keeping my broken heart at bay, but as I grew used to being his best friend, my heart moved on. Tell me, then, why does this hurt so much?"

She felt Erin kiss her temple once again and leaned into the touch. "It hurts because you still carried a torch, deep inside, for him, and it's just been doused forever. If I could wish them back, I would."

"I may have finally figured you out, Erin. You're like the Skinner to our Mulder and Scully. Now that Mulder is gone for good, you're going to pick up the pieces of Scully's broken heart and try to heal her. And this Scully wants that so very much. Stay with me tonight, again, please?"

Erin sighed and stilled her hand in Penelope's hair. "Yes, I will," she whispered after a few moments. Penelope looked up at her and saw she was crying again. She tried to bury the guilt she felt, knowing this time that she was the cause of her tears, choosing to snuggle close to Erin once more instead. Penelope felt her eyelids grow heavy and fought to stay awake, fearing Erin would run from her if she slept. It was a losing battle, though, and before she lost consciousness, she heard Erin say, "What am I doing to her? This is not who I am."

She was alone when she woke up. She looked around for Erin, finally finding her on the laptop, typing furiously. "Who are you writing?"

Erin looked up, blushing brightly. "My daughter, Kelly. She's at Ed's for the week and I forgot to call last night."

"Ah. Do you want to order something in? There's not much in my fridge."

"I'm not really that hungry. But if you want something, go ahead."

"That's fine, I just wanted to know if you wanted anything." Penelope got up and pulled out her current knitting project and began to stitch, keeping an eye on Erin as she did. The hours passed quietly, and then Erin was in front of her, holding out her hand, not looking at her. She took it, letting Erin help her up.

Penelope kissed her, wrapping her arms around her waist and pulling her close. She felt Erin sighed against her lips, stiffening slightly before she relaxed into her. Leaning back, she looked at Erin, who had her eyes closed, a poignant smile on her lips. Penelope sighed herself and let Erin pull her down on the bed. She ran her fingers through Erin's blonde hair and then pulled off her shirt, dropping it on the floor. Erin followed suit, taking off the nightgown and letting it fall.

Erin was crying again, broken sobs that tore at Penelope's heart. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out and then she was silenced by Erin's lips on hers. The perfunctoriness of the kiss galled Penelope and suddenly, she realized what she'd done to Erin. She was no better than the unsubs she tracked down. Wild sobs burst out of her and she pulled away from Erin's touch, curling into a ball on the very edge of her bed.

She flinched from Erin's light touch on her back. "How can you touch me after what I forced you to do? How can you stand to be so close to a monster?"

"You're not a monster, Penelope, you're grieving. And I meant what I said ealier. If I had not wanted this, it would never have happened." Penelope turned to face Erin, tears still coursing down her cheeks. "Besides, you're not the only one who lost someone close to them last night." She leaned forward and kissed Penelope lightly. "Shared sorrow is half sorrow."

Penelope kissed her back, hesitantly wrapping her arms around the older woman's waist. "I don't, I just, oh, how have I managed to fuck everything up in so short a time?"

Erin placed a finger on her lips, stilling the words that poured from them. "Shh, Penny." Penelope nodded and snuggled into the warmth Erin offered. She didn't know how, but somehow this usual bitch in heels had made her feel very safe in such a short time. And no one would ever believe what they had shared. They began kissing once more, the hesitancy gone.

Erin had just moved her hands up cup Penelope's breasts when both women heard the lock on the door turn. As one, they turned to watch the doorway. "Baby Girl, don't you ever watch the news? Or answer your phone for that matter?"

Penelope felt the blood drain from her face as she heard his voice and she unconsciously clung all the closer to Erin. "Derek?" she asked softly, not trusting her legs to hold her up if she moved. His footsteps came closer and closer, and the trepidation grew in her chest.

And then he was there, standing in her bedroom doorway, the smile on his face faltering as he saw she was in bed with someone else, with someone he despised. "What is that bitch doing in your bed? Is that how she knows everything about us? How long have you been fucking and telling, Garcia?" he spat out, anger radiating from him.

"Don't Sugar, it's not like –"

"Like what? The whore is in your bed, naked as the day is long! How could you do this to us, Garcia?" He turned on his heel and stalked from the apartment, slamming the door behind him.

"I should go. I've caused enough trouble tonight," Erin said lowly, her voice oddly hoarse. Penelope turned to look at her, taking in the tears unshed in her eyes and reached out to touch her.

"Erin, no. He made his choice and jumped to a conclusion without letting me explain. You're not a whore." Penelope kissed her forehead. "You are a comforter." She kissed her eyelids gently, and then her cheeks. "You cared when it mattered most." She kissed her lips, nipping lightly before she released them. "And you taste incredibly sweet. No one who tastes like you can be bad."

"Penelope," Erin moaned as she kissed down her neck, stopping to suck at the pulse point before moving lower. Penelope gently ran her thumb over Erin's nipple, watching the dusky flesh pucker. Erin squeaked slightly as Penelope sucked the bud into her mouth and Penelope giggled a bit at the sound. Her hand slipped down Erin's curves and she marveled in how Erin's body reacted to her.

As she dipped her hand between Erin's legs, she couldn't help but blurt out, "You're so hot and wet, Erin." Unerringly, Penelope's thumb found Erin's clit and she felt the other woman tighten around her fingers as she stroked the bundle of nerves.

"Oh god, Penelope!" she keened loudly as she raked her nails down Penelope's back, her orgasm bowing her body. Penelope fell heavily to her side, staring at Erin. "What?" she breathlessly asked.

"I don't know, it's just, you're so beautiful, and I'm, well, me."

With a tenderness she'd not thought the woman capable of, Erin stroked her face, smiling sadly. "You are beautiful, Penelope." Penelope ducked her head into Erin's hand, kissing the palm.

As she drifted off to sleep, her heart heavy over Derek's cruel words, she murmured, "Never let me go." All she heard in response was Erin's soft sigh.


	2. Chapter 2

In the morning, she woke up to the smell of breakfast. Groggily, she got out of bed and shoved a pair of glasses on her face before stumbling out to the kitchen. "Everything will be ready in about fifteen minutes, if you want to take a shower beforehand," Erin said without turning around. Penelope noticed she was wearing the same suit she'd been in two days ago.

"All right," she simply said, shucking off the sweat pants and going into the bathroom. She washed herself quickly, then got out and dried off. It was then that she realized she'd left any semblance of clean clothes in her room. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but she felt herself suddenly shy at the thought of Erin seeing her.

Keeping the towel wrapped firmly around her, she snuck out into her room and hastily pulled on undergarments. She stood in front of her closet, trying to decide on what to wear. "The white and navy polka dotted dress," Erin said softly, pulling it out of the closet. :And when you're ready, so's breakfast."

Penelope nodded and pulled the dress on. Slipping into shoes, she hurriedly put her hair up in a messy bun and then joined Erin. "Erin, this looks delicious," she said as she breathed in the scent of bacon and eggs. "You didn't have to.

"It was the least I could do. Better to go into a shit storm with a full stomach, after all."

"What do you mean?"

"Your cell phone has been going off since five this morning. I didn't have the heart to wake you up. It looked like they were mostly from Agent Hotchner."

"Oh. Do you think I still have a job?"

"Of course you do. I decide who gets let go from the BAU and I would never approve that." She sighed. "This is why I never do something nice in the workplace. It always ends up hurting the person, instead of helping."

"Do you think they hate me?" she asked, looking down at her food.

"No one could ever hate you." They finished eating in silence, Penelope lost in her thoughts of Alpha team's anger.

She stacked the dishes in the sink and then turned to face Erin. "Once we leave here, we revert back to our roles of 'Chief Strauss' and 'Ms. Garcia'. May I, may I have one more kiss before we part?" Erin nodded and closed the distance between them, kissing her gently. Penelope wrapped her up in a warm hug, unable to keep from holding her. "I wish…" she trailed off, burying her face in Erin's neck.

"I know. If I could, I would never let you go." Erin kissed her once more and then pushed her away. "Ms. Garcia, it's time for us to go to work. Are you ready?"

Penelope watched Erin square her shoulders, aloofness slipping about her once more. Only her eyes showed the sorrow she felt. Penelope tried to copy the motions, but felt she failed miserably. Instead, she leaned into Erin's warm hand on her back, not wanting to lose that sweet connection. She picked up her purse and cell phone, locking the door behind them. She zoned out during the ride in, fear gripping her heart more and more the closer they got.

"If they do hate me," Penelope whispered as they stepped onto the elevator, "may I?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Chief Strauss. I appreciate it."

"Anything for you, Ms. Garcia."

Penelope stepped off the elevator and squared her shoulders, taking a deep breath as she entered the BAU bullpen. Alpha team was all gathered around Reid's desk and as one they looked up at her. Hostility radiated from Morgan and Emily, while Reid struggled to show no emotion. Only Rossi and Hotch looked at her sadly, as if they knew the truth Morgan had sullied the previous night.

"Garcia, if I could see you in my office, please," Hotch said, moving away from the group to come up by her side. She nodded and let him touch her, guiding her up the stairs. She found she couldn't look at the others anymore, it hurt too much. Thirty six hours ago, she'd thought them dead, and now they hated her. Despite what Erin had said, she knew it was true.

She took a seat on the chair in front of his desk, listening to him lock the door. She studied her clasped hands, not daring to look into those sad, knowing eyes of his. "I take it Morgan told all of you about my indiscretion?" she said softly, cursing herself for crying in front of him.

"He said some rather harsh things that I feel he'll regret. But I want to hear from you what happened in the last two days." He sat next to her, moving the chair to face her completely and reached out to cover her hands with his.

"I did sleep with Chief Strauss. Neither of us intended for it to end up like that, I swear. It's just, I was so devastated when she told me the news that she took me home. Once home, I instigated everything, Hotch. She had no idea what I was going to do. Then again, neither did I. But she was there, comforting me, and I just needed to feel something."

He sighed and squeezed her hands. "I can't say that I don't wish it had been Anderson, Penelope, but I understand that, that need. After Haley, I had that same feeling, but there was no one to rescue me. Give them time to cool down, Penelope, and when we need information, I'll be calling you." She looked up into his eyes and saw understanding there. "And I think there's a junior G-man who would like very much to have supper with his aunt Penelope soon. Do you feel up to it?"

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Thanks Hotch."

"Not a problem. And don't worry about it going beyond the seven of us. I made them swear to tell no one." She managed a ghost of a smile and he returned it as best her could. "Now, we have a new case to brief. I'll see you in the conference room in five minutes."

"Yes, Sir." She stood and went to her office, head bowed so no one could see her tears. She picked up her pad from the desk and then noticed someone had already been in there, as across the picture of her and JJ was scrawled the word 'whore' in black marker. Her heart clenched as she recognized Reid's handwriting. Penelope tightened her jaw and straightened her shoulders, suddenly able to perfectly channel Erin.

She assessed the round room with a cool eye, refusing to seem weak in front of them. And then it hit her, she was using the same façade Erin used. If she kept them out, they couldn't hurt her. Rossi led the briefing and she took copious notes, arching her eyebrow whenever he shot her a concerned look. One by one, they left the room until it was just her and him.

"You played with fire, Kitten. Did you not expect to get burned?"

"You're right there, Rossi, she is fire. The fire that warmed my frozen heart when I thought you all dead. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

As she brushed past him, he grabbed her upper arm, and she looked at him, her eyes sparking with anger. He, however, wore a concerned look. "What are you going on about?"

"I mean that it was a one-time thing, I think, oh, just go away. I have nothing to apologize for, Rossi! I am not a whore, and neither is she."

As she left the room, she thought she heard him call after her, "When did I ever call you such a vile word?" but she ignored him. She stalked off and slammed the door to her room, feeling like she wanted to throw something or scream at the top of her lungs. Who were they to judge her? Especially her best friend, dammit.

"We're leaving now," Hotch said as he looked in on her. "I know your heart is still tender, but try not to shut them out. I'll work on them while we're gone."

She couldn't look at him, afraid she'd breakdown once more if she did. "I'll see you in a few days, Hotch." She heard him leave and looked at her computer screen. Her focus was completely shot and it took four rings before she looked at her phone. "Hello?"

"Did everything go all right, Ms. Garcia?"

"If by all right you mean only Hotch and Rossi will speak to me, then yes, Chief Strauss. Everything's peachy keen."

"Penelope."

"They do hate me, Erin. Yet, I don't think I would change a thing. I've never burned like that before."

"Neither have I."

"Thank you for checking in on me. I'll let you go now, you probably have more important things to worry about than me."

"It will get better, Penelope. Everything does eventually."

"Does it, Erin? I'm not so sure any more." Penelope hung up the phone, not wanting to hear her answer. Reclining back in her chair, she picked up her vandalized picture, running her finger over JJ's smiling face, her eyes filling with tears once more.

That evening, she found flowers waiting for her on her doorstep. There was no card, so she figured either Erin or Hotch had sent them to her. She breathed in the heady scent of lilies and put the bouquet in a vase of water, setting it on her coffee table. Her phone rang, startling her. Moving closer to the handset, she saw it was Rossi, but she was in no mood to talk and let the call go right to voicemail.

Finding herself with no appetite, she shed her clothes and pulled on the nightgown Erin had worn, desperate for the comfort she was sure it would give her. She pulled back the covers and crawled into bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. In the morning, she groggily got up, still feeling exhausted. She poured herself some cereal and poked at it, not really hungry. Not caring what she looked like that morning, she put on the first thing her hand touched in her closet, then shoved a headband in her hair.

Like a wraith, she made her way into her office, starting up her system. The fact that they were alive and despised her suddenly filled her brain, and before she could think of anything else, she broke down crying. Penelope managed to pull it together enough to give Beta team the information they needed, then continued weeping. Hadn't Kevin told her she was too rash, that she acted too quickly? He'd left because of that, and now her friends had deserted her because of that.

Her teams in the field noticed the lackluster responses to their banter and asked her if she was all right. "I'm fine, honestly," she said to her last caller of the day. "It's just shock from finding out Alpha is unharmed, y'know? I'd barely begun to process the one idea when the other comes to life."

"Just keep in mind it's a joyous thing that the pilot was able to land that plane."

"I know, I just have to process yet. Happy hunting." She hung up with her and then shut her system down. Picking up her purse, she flipped the lights off and locked her door. Again, she took no notice of her surroundings until she ran into someone. "I'm sorry," she said, finally looking up to see who it was. "Oh, Chief Strauss. Can I help you?"

"Let's take a quick walk," she said, looking at her with concern. "Agent Hotchner called me. He said you weren't doing well. Is he right?" The concern evident in her voice caused Penelope to tear up once more.

"Maybe." She looked away from Erin, not wanting to see the gentleness in her face. "I called Morgan today on instinct. He didn't say a word to me, just handed the phone over to Hotch." Penelope sighed, rubbing her arms. "Not one single syllable." She felt Erin's hand on her shoulder and looked up to see they were in a secluded corner.

"Penelope, if you need to talk to anyone, just call me. I know that I haven't been the most open, warm person there is, but I do care." Penelope tried to smile, but the tears escaped first.

"I just want to talk to my best friend, Erin." She collapsed against the other woman, sobbing softly. Erin's arms wrapped around her, drawing her close. "I hate this, I really do."

"I know, Penelope, and I brought this on you. I'm sorry."

Penelope looked up into Erin's blue eyes. "Don't blame yourself, please." She reached up and touched Erin's face gently. "I, oh, what does it matter? In the scheme of things, does anything matter?" She leaned in and kissed Erin's cheek. "Now, I'm going home. Have a lovely evening." She brushed past Erin and made her way to the elevator bank. She could feel Erin's eyes on her back. The woman saw too much, that was certain.

The rest of the week passed by with excruciating slowness. Alpha team's case took forever to close and the more she dealt only with Hotch, the more despondent she felt. Finally she got the call that they were coming home, and would be back in the office the next morning. "Penelope, Dave would like to talk to you. May he?"

"Of course, Hotch." She heard the phone being handed over and Hotch's low warning to Rossi. And then, there was his voice.

"Hey, Kitten. Hotch here tells me that you've been kinda down and that it's partially my fault. He's right, by the way. I do bear some of the blame for not taking the lead and defending you. Did you get the flowers I had delivered? I thought I remembered that you like lilies."

"They were beautiful, Dave. Thank you."

"Listen, I've been thinking about what you said, the morning after. I believe you…"

"Your vote of confidence warms my heart, it really does. Too bad it doesn't bring my best friend back." Exhaling forcefully, she ran her hand through her hair. "I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up the phone and fell back on her sofa, a heaviness filling her heart once more.

In the morning, she made sure to get to work early. On her desk was a nosegay of small flowers, and this time, she knew they were from Erin. The small bouquet had her hand all over it. She picked up the nosegay and held it tightly to her chest, trying to impress the sweet memory in her mind. After twenty minutes had gone by, someone knocked on her door. "Come in."

"Hello, Penelope. We're back. Dave wanted to come here, but didn't know if he'd be welcome. He does want to see you, if that'd be all right," Hotch said lowly as he stepped into the office, giving her one of his rare smiles.

"All right, Hotch." She got up from her chair and followed him out into the bullpen, the nosegay still in her hands.

"Rosemary, that's for remembrance," Hotch said softly, looking at her bouquet."

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing, it's just for a moment you reminded me of Ophelia, from Hamlet."

She smiled sadly at Hotch. "I feel a little like Ophelia at the moment."

"Penelope."

"Yes, Hotch?"

"It gets better, I promise."

"Erin told me the same thing. I don't believe her either." Rossi was standing outside his office and as soon as she was close enough, he pulled her into a tight hug while three hostile pairs of eyes looked on. "Rossi?"

"I'm sorry. I just hope it's not too little, too late, Kitten."

She pulled away from him and looked down at Morgan. He narrowed his eyes and looked away from her, his mouth tightening into a frown. "I think that it is, Dave. If you'll both excuse me, I-I have work to do." She turned on her heel and fairly fled back to the security of her office.

As she took a seat at her desk once more, sudden clarity filled her mind. He would never forgive her, no matter what she did. Resolved, she pulled out her favorite pen, one Derek had given her long ago, and put it in its box. She got up and slipped out of the bullpen unnoticed.


	3. Chapter 3

She felt every eye on her when she entered the bullpen, the box clenched tightly in her hand. Ignoring the openly hostile stare she received from Agent Morgan, she climbed the stairs and knocked on Aaron's door, true fear gripping her heart.

"Chief Strauss, what brings you here?" he asked as he opened the door.

Not looking around his office as she stepped inside, she countered with, "Is Ms. Garcia here?"

"Of course Kitten's here. She's been in her office all morning. What's this about Erin?"

She whirled around and pinned her steely gaze on him. "This," she said lowly, thrusting the box at him. "It's hers, isn't it?"

Rossi took the lid off the box and pulled out the peacock feather fountain pen. "Where did you get this?"

"My assistant gave it to me fifteen minutes ago. I ask you again, is Ms. Garcia here?"

Rossi got up from the chair and handed her the pen. "Let's go find out. After you, Chief Strauss." He opened the door and all of them filed out, going to Penelope's office. "Do you know the code?"

"Of course, David. I have to know things like that. Though I am loathe to invade her privacy if the door is locked. Please, see if it's open first," Erin replied, looking at him sadly.

"I will." He tried the handle and found Penelope had not locked the door. "Kitten, are you in there?" he asked as he stepped inside. They looked around the office and found her missing. On her computer screens were pictures of the team with her.

"Who wrote this?" Erin demanded, holding up the picture of JJ and Penelope, an angry look on her face. "Aaron, how could you let this happen on your watch?" She was furious at the slur scrawled on the glass and wanted to last out at anyone in her sights.

"I don't know which of my team did this, Erin. However, I don't think that's our problem right now, do you?" he responded evenly. "You do know the message she was trying to send?"

"I do, Aaron. And that's what terrifies me."

Rossi's brow wrinkled with confusion. "What am I missing here, guys?"

"Ophelia, Dave. When people decide on a course of action, a final course of action, they give away certain objects that are dear to them. Penelope decided to give her favorite pen to Erin, here, today."

"And now she's not here. I'm going to her apartment, you can't stop me."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Erin, I'll drive," Aaron replied, taking her arm as they went back out into the bullpen. "Do you know if anyone has a key to her apartment?" he asked Rossi.

"Derek does. I'll grab it and meet you in the parking garage." They nodded and moved to the elevator bank.

"I promised I would never let her go, Aaron. I have no idea why I did that, but I refuse to go back on that promise." She looked at him, her lips trembling slightly. "God help me, but I want to protect her."

"I feel the same way, Erin. There's just something about her that brings your protective side out." He led her over to his car and they got in, followed shortly by Rossi.

"I got it! Let's go." Aaron threw the car in gear and tore out from the parking garage, his lights blazing. Erin bit her lip, trying to keep from crying as Aaron drove, praying that Penelope had not done anything rash. The drive seemed to last too long, far too long, but finally, they were in front of the apartment building. Almost before Aaron had put the car in park, Erin was opening her door and racing up the walk, Rossi hot on her heels. "Third floor!"

"I know, David. I've been here before," she said shortly, running faster. She was soon in front of her door and jiggled the handle, hoping beyond hope that this door, like her office door, was open.

"I got it, Erin," Rossi said breathlessly, holding out the key and inserting it into the lock, opening the door. Erin pushed past him into the apartment, looking around for Penelope.

"Aaron, David, someone call 911!" she screamed as she sat heavily on the bed, putting Penelope's on her lap. Erin pried her fingers open from around the bottle in her hand. "Where'd you get the vicodin, sweetheart?" she murmured as she checked Penelope's pulse. It was weak and thread, but there, and she gave in to the tears.

"The ambulance is on its way, Erin. ETA was five minutes," Dave said, wrapping his hand over her shoulder. "The pills are from when she was shot. She refused to use very many of them after what happened with Reid." She nodded and leaned into him. "What happened to make you care so much?"

"I don't really know, David. There's just something about her."

Soon, the EMTs were in the room, taking her vitals. "Is this what she took?" one asked, plucking the bottle from Erin's limp hand as she nodded. "Do you know how many were in here?"

"It should have been almost full," Rossi responded, looking up at the young man.

"All right, let's move out. Do any of you want to ride along? We'll be taking her to Washington Memorial."

"I will," Erin said, standing up and smoothing her skirt. She followed them out, wringing her hands as she watched them carry her prone body down the stairs. Once on the ground floor, she opened the front door for them and followed them into the back of the ambulance. Just as they were shutting the doors, she saw Morgan pull up. It was too late to stop them, though, and the ambulance sped off, ignoring his frantic waving.

"Are you her…?" the EMT asked, looking pointedly between them.

"I'm her partner."

"All right, I'll need some basics on her. Her name's Penelope Garcia, correct?" Erin nodded and then answered his questions as best she could, while the other EMT drove.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you more. We've just been assigned, though," she stammered, lying quickly to cover her ignorance about Penelope's life.

"Assigned?"

"Yes. We're with the FBI." She pulled out her credentials. "Agent Erin Strauss at your service. Is she going to be okay?"

"It depends. As soon as we get to the hospital, she'll have to have her stomach pumped. I'm not going to lie, this is a very final way out, and when it fails, there can be changes to the person. Are you ready to support her when she wakes up?" Erin nodded. "Good, she's going to need a friend through this."

They fell silent, Erin focusing on Penelope. "You have to pull through this, Penny. I promise, it will be us against them when you wake up." She picked up Penelope's hand and squeezed gently. "We'll figure all this out, I know." She looked back up at the EMT. "Will I be allowed in the room with her?"

"Not the exam room, no. But you can be right outside, watching them. Once she's stabilized, she'll be moved to an observation room where you can stay with her." He smiled kindly at her and then recorded some information. As they pulled into the emergency room bay, Erin could see a team waiting for them. A doctor and four nurses rolled Penelope away, while another nurse led Erin to where they would treat Penelope.

"I take it you were the one who found her?" the nurse asked kindly, and Erin nodded. "Then you probably saved her life. It won't take long for them to pump her stomach, and all of her other vitals were strong, so you'll be able to rejoin her shortly." The nurse patted her shoulder gently and went into the room, assisting the doctor. Erin struggled to keep from throwing up herself as she watched them force the charcoal down her throat and then bring it back up after it had absorbed the residual traces of the drug.

After what seemed like days, the nurses wheeled Penelope into another room. "We'll keep her here for observation for the evening. Will you be staying?" the doctor asked.

"Yes. And may I restrict who her visitors are?"

"I don't know if you have the authority to do that, Ma'am."

"I'm her direct supervisor at the FBI, and I know the people that pushed her to do this are going to try to see her if they can. I do not want them unnecessarily upsetting her." She fixed her eyes on him. "I only want myself, Agent Aaron Hotchner, and Agent David Rossi with her. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Ma'am, of course." The doctor backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Oh Penelope, what am I going to do with you? I failed at keeping you safe, as you asked me. Some Section Chief that makes me." She picked up Penelope's hand, holding onto it tightly. Someone knocked on the door and Erin looked through the window to see Aaron. She waved him in and he closed the door once inside.

"Really, Erin? Just the three of us are allowed to see her?"

"I do not want any of those three anywhere near her. They, he put her in this room and has no right to see her," she hissed, fury filling her body as she stood to face him toe to toe.

"You can't keep me from her!" she heard Morgan yell outside the room, and every hair on her body stood on end. "You bitch!" he screamed as he burst into the room, advancing on her. "You can't keep me from my best friend!"

"Do not come into this room and claim her as your friend when you put her in that bed," she said lowly, controlling her anger as best she could. She poked him in the chest, locking eyes. "Now get out."

"Oh, hell no, lady," he said, raising his hand to strike her, but she was too fast, catching him with a quick upper cut to the jaw.

"You forget, I go through the same training. Now get him out of here," she said, looking on him with disgust. Hospital security hauled him away and she regally took a seat once more by Penelope, unwilling to let on just how much that punch had hurt.

"Erin, do you need me to get some ice for your hand?" Aaron asked, touching her shoulder. She looked up at him and tried to smile and shake it off, but to her horror, found herself tearing up.

"That might be nice," she whispered, using her other hand to wipe hastily at her eyes. At the door, he spoke lowly to someone and then left. "So, I just hit your best friend. You're going to come out of this hating me, but maybe it's better that way, for you."

"I'm not going to hate you, Erin," Penelope whispered, her eyes fluttering open. "Did you really hit him as hard as that sounded?"

"Yeah, and it hurts just as much." She smiled gently down at her. "How do you feel?"

"Stupid. Who figured it out?"

"David, Aaron, and I. Though I was more insistent about getting to your apartment." She clasped Penelope's hand. "Why would you want to leave us?"

"It seemed better than them hating me." Penelope struggled to sit up and Erin helped her, placing her bruised hand on the small of her back. "It seemed better than wanting something I could never have." She looked away from Erin and down at her hands.

Erin ached to say something, to make everything better. The first sob that tore from Penelope's body broke her heart and she opened her arms to the woman. Penelope fell against her, wrapping an arm around Erin's waist and crying into her shoulder. Erin tenderly ran her fingers through Penelope's hair, murmuring soft words of encouragement.

At one point, the door opened and then closed, but she didn't look up to see who might be intruding on them. Finally, she felt Penelope draw in a shuddery breath and pull back a little bit. Without thinking, Erin kissed Penelope's forehead. "It seems I'm always crying on your shoulder, Erin."

"And that's perfectly all right. I'll never let you go, this time." Erin felt herself blush as she spoke aloud words she couldn't imagine saying just a short time ago. Looking away from Penelope, she bit her lip. "That is, if you wouldn't mind that."

"Honestly, Erin? There's nothing more in the world that I could want more than that right now. You've seen me at my worst and still want to be here. It can only get better from here, right?"

"Yes." Erin had no idea what she was doing, but it felt right. After so long doing the expected, being better and tougher than everyone in the room because she had to, if only to prove to them she was good enough, it felt delicious to let go to her. Penelope smiled bewitchingly at her and leaned forward to kiss Erin's lips. Erin returned the kiss fervently, suddenly knowing she was home.

Someone cleared their throat and Erin looked over at the door to see David standing there, looking bemused. "I thought you said it was a one-time thing, Kitten?"

"I said I didn't know, Rossi. Now I do. Did she break his jaw?" she asked, smiling up at Erin.

"No, but he'll have a nasty bruise there. God, Erin, where did you learn to punch like that?"

"Seriously, everyone forgets that I go through the same training at the FBI. I have to be ready to be in the field at a moment's notice and if I couldn't take care of myself, what good would that do anyone?" She sighed. "Okay, so Minneapolis may have encouraged me to brush up on some of my education, but the ground work was always there."

"And you managed to terrify not only the ER doctor, but the security team here as well," David replied, to which Penelope giggled a little. "It's good to hear that from you, Penelope. I was afraid we'd gotten there too late."

Penelope held out her hand to him and he took a step forward. "I'm just glad you came to rescue me, all of you. Come in, Hotch."

He did, sitting on the foot of the bed. "So, Morgan's decided not to press charges. He really backed off when I told him I would tell the judge you acted in self-defense. And you did. I've never seen him react like that; though he does still want to see you, Penelope, along with the others."

"Erin?"

"It's up to you, Penelope. They're your friends," Erin said, looking at her. She sighed happily as Penelope stroked her face gently.

"I know you want to protect me, and I love that. But I need to see them eventually, and better it be around you. I know you can protect me, now." She smiled once more, and Erin felt herself smile back.

"Damn straight," Dave said, clapping his hand on Erin's back as Aaron handed her the ice pack.

"I'll go get them, then?" They nodded and Erin held the ice pack to her hand.

"Can I do anything for either of you?" Dave asked as he sat in the space Aaron had just vacated.

"Besides rewind time by about eight hours?" Penelope asked, looking at him.

"Well, I can't do that, Kitten. I'm not the god of time."

She snapped her fingers. "Darn. Erin, I want you here on this bed, sitting next to me when they come in. We are going to present a united front from this moment on." Erin was surprised to hear herself in Penelope's voice and manner and blushed as David laughed heartily.

"I don't know if I'll fit, aren't those beds made for one?" she stammered, looking to him for support.

"Oh no, Erin, what Kitten wants, Kitten gets, especially on today of all days. Now, on the bed, I'll take your seat."

"I'll remember this at the annual review, David."

"I'm sure you will, Erin."


	4. Chapter 4

The door opened and Hotch led Morgan, Reid, and Prentiss in. Erin held her hands in her lap tightly, so as not to commit another rash act. Morgan met her eye steadily, a grudging look of admiration in his expression. Erin heard Penelope draw in a deep breath and she turned to her, holding out her hand, which Penelope grasped so hard it hurt.

"You wanted to see me?" Penelope asked coolly, though Erin saw the wobble in her lips and knew she might breakdown at any moment. "I do hope your jaw is okay, Derek."

"It will heal. Until then, the pain will remind me just how stupid I've been." He tried to smile and winced instead, rubbing his jaw absently. "I'm sorry, Baby Girl."

"Sorry isn't going to cover it this time, Sugar. You turned my family against me when I was still trying to deal with the fact that you were dead to me for thirty-six hours and then suddenly alive again. You called me a whore, for God's sake! And then, all three of you trot in here like nothing happened and expect me to move on from here. Newsflash, it doesn't work that way, at least not for me! And yes, I ended up in the arms of someone you despise, but she was the one who took care of me when I got the news. Not ever Anderson could bother to tell me what happened."

Erin watched her swipe furiously at her eyes with her free hand, refusing to let go of Erin's hand for even a moment. "If you don't calm down, you'll make yourself sick, Penny," she said lowly, rubbing her thumb across the back of the other woman's hand.

Penelope nodded and took a few deep breaths, switching how she held Erin's hand in the process by threading her fingers with Erin's. "And then you walked in on us and found me guilty without even asking what was going on. I'm not a whore and neither is she. I'll thank you to keep that in mind when you think of us." She tilted her head and stared at them, her tone suddenly hard and challenging. "Together."

This was news to Erin, and she tightened her grip on Penelope's hand, unsure of how she felt on being so publicly claimed as another person's. Penelope looked at her and smiled slightly, and that was all it took for Erin to relax, suddenly feeling less overwhelmed.

"I fixed your picture," Reid said, not looking at them. "I was just so angry; it felt like you were betraying JJ, the way Morgan made it sound. I didn't think, and that's normally all I do. I should have waited to reserve judgment until I knew everything. As profilers, that's how we do things. Hotch remembered that, and so did Rossi. I-I'm glad that Chief Strauss got to you in time, Garcia. At least now I have the chance to apologize."

Penelope smirked a little and Hotch caught the look in her eye, one Erin didn't quite understand. "Don't, Garcia. We've heard that song come from your lips too many times. Reid, how could you open yourself up like that?"

"I feel like I'm missing something here, Agent Hotchner. Whatever are you talking about?" Erin asked, genuinely confused.

"See, Hotch, she feels left out. I have to bring her up to speed." She looked at Erin and bit her lip as she smiled. "But then again, maybe I'll spare you my voice right now. The charcoal is making me feel all grunky. It's just a silly song that I love, but they hate, since they think I sang it way too much in their presence." She looked back at Hotch. "It was only a summer."

"Okay, can we cut the crap here? Bad things happened, we jumped to conclusions, more bad things happened, and now we want forgiveness. Will you grant us absolution or tell us our penance so we can move on?" Emily interjected, a look of frustration on her face. The grip on Erin's hand tightened once more, and she knew Emily's words had upset Penelope.

"Of course I'll grant you absolution, I just can't look at the three of you in the same way anymore and I don't know how long it will be before I can trust you again. Now, please leave, I'd like to rest." She didn't let go of Erin's hand as she dismissed the others, so Erin remained seated next to her.

Once the others had gone, Penelope collapsed back onto the bed, curling on her side to look at Erin. A gentle smile curved across Erin's lips as tears began to pool in Penelope's eyes. "You did good, Penny."

"I tried to be you. Hard on the outside, tender on the inside. It's kinda rough."

"You develop a callout after a while. And then it gets harder to be tender."

"I don't believe that, Erin. I've seen your heart." Penelope yawned. "If I go to sleep, will you be here when I wake up?"

"It depends. Do you want me to be here?"

"Yes. More than anything in this world. I hate hospitals and never want to wake up alone in one again. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for. However, I want to get something to eat in a little bit. Would that be all right?"

Penelope nodded slowly and Erin watched her eyes flutter a bit before closing as her breathing evened out. As soon as Erin was certain she was asleep, she disentangled her hand and stood up, smoothing her skirt. It was at that moment she realized that she had left her purse in her office. "Damn," she muttered under her breath. Sighing, she sat back down in the chair, watching Penelope sleep peacefully.

Half an hour passed and a soft knocking startled Erin from her reverie. "Come in," she softly replied. The door opened slowly and Emily stepped it, not looking at Penelope.

"Hotch sent me here to deliver your purse and car. I parking in the ramp across the street, here are your keys." Emily looked into Erin's eyes. "My mother tried to get me to work on my impulsiveness. It didn't work then, it hasn't worked now. Could you let her know that I am sorry? You seem to be the only one she'll listen to right now."

"I make no promises, Agent Prentiss. I cannot speak for someone else, that would not be right. But thank you for bringing this to me." She dismissed Emily with a flick of her wrist, turning her back to watch Penelope sleep. Moments later, she heard the door close again, and she bent to kiss Penelope's forehead. "I'll be right back, I promise."

Erin got up and made her way out, finding the nurse's station as quickly as she could. "Excuse me, where's the cafeteria from here?"

"Up one floor and then down at the end of the hall."

"Thank you. And if Penelope Garcia, the patient in room 4b, wakes up before I return, will one of you tell her where I am?"

The nurse smiled at her and nodded. "Of course."

Erin breathed a sigh of relief and followed the nurse's instructions. The line was short, and Erin got the most appetizing looking item on the menu, which was to say the one thing that looked halfway palatable. She added a banana to the greasy sandwich to try and make the meal somewhat healthy. Picking up the bag and cup of tea, she made her way back down to the ER and Penelope. Toeing the door open, she was relieved to see Penelope was still sleeping and hadn't moved since she'd left.

She sat back down in the chair and ate quickly, choking down the vile sandwich, glad she had bought the banana. You couldn't do anything to a banana, she reasoned. After she'd finished eating, she threw her trash away and rested her feet against Penelope's bed and wrapped her arms around her knees.

Erin lost track of how much time had passed until a doctor came in to check on Penelope. "She won't be released until morning, you should go home and sleep," he said kindly.

"She doesn't want to wake up alone, and I promised her I would be here. So, if it's all the same to you, I'll stay." She looked up at him, as if daring him to contradict her. He nodded and patted her shoulder, leaving the room. Moments later, he came back with a thin blanket, handing it to her.

"It's not much, but it might make your vigil more comfortable. Do try to get some sleep." He flipped the lights off and shut the door, closing out the noise of the hall. Erin wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and tried to find a comfortable position. Finally, she bent over the bed, pillowing her head on one arm and clasping Penelope's hand with the other. She was soon asleep.

In the morning, she was woken up by the feel of someone running their fingers through her hair. Groggily, she sat up and wiped her eyes free of gunk. "You stayed," Penelope said quietly, smiling wistfully.

"I did," she replied, smiling back. "And as soon as they let you out, we're going to get some decent food. The food in the cafeteria is complete and utter pap."

"Well, this is a hospital, Erin. Were you really expecting gourmet fare?"

"No, but I was hoping for something of substance." She sat up taller and stretched, catching Penelope's eye in the process. The look of hunger there caused her to blush and look away, clasping her hands demurely in her lap.

Penelope laughed throatily and reached out the squeeze Erin's hand. "If I'd known that was all it took to make you blush, I'd've tried it a long time ago." Erin arched her eyebrow. "What? You're humanly gorgeous when you're flustered."

Erin just shook her head. "I don't think I've ever been described like that before."

"Oh, so you're more accustomed to being called a goddess?"

"What? No. Besides, isn't that what your team calls you?" she retorted, feeling her flush travel down her neck and chest at the words Penelope had said. There was no substance there, anyway. She was in no more ways a goddess then she was the Queen of Sheba.

"We're all goddesses, Erin. Or at least, we should be to the one meant only for us. But you, you have the bearing of one; it's in the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you order us about. To be able to see the human beauty beneath the façade is such a comforting thing. I know your heart and I'll keep it hidden, if that's what you want."

She took a deep breath, trying to process what Penelope was saying. She felt suddenly exposed. "Are you certain they haven't been training you in how to profile?" she asked, dismayed at the quaver in her voice.

"It's not profiling when you make yourself this easy to read."

Just then, another doctor bustled in, interrupting whatever else Penelope had been about to say. They pulled away from each other and looked up at the doctor. "Well young lady, your vitals are strong after giving us such a scare. Though I'm not sure I want to release you until you've spoken with a psychologist."

Erin watched Penelope bite her lip in an effort not to cry. "I'll make certain she sees one of our psychologists before I clear her for work," she said, nodding at Penelope, who smiled radiantly.

The doctor looked at both of them, pursing his lips slightly. Erin raised her chin and stared him down. "Fine. As long as she is not alone today, I'll release her into your custody. If anything happens to her…"

"Nothing will happen to her. I'll make certain of that this time." He nodded and signed off on her chart and then handed over her release papers. "Thank you, doctor."

He made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat and left the room. Penelope sat up and swung her legs off the side of the bed. She stood up and wobbled a little, catching herself on Erin's shoulder. "Can we go now?" she asked, looking down at Erin.

"Of course, you were released." Erin stood and held out her arm for Penelope. Penelope took it, looking at Erin with unabashed adoration. "So, I was thinking of this great café we could stop at on the way home."

"Right now, as long as I'm with you, I'll be happy," Penelope said lowly, not taking her eyes off Erin. The intensity of her gaze threw Erin for a moment and hesitantly, she nodded.

Together, they exited the hospital and waited for the light to change so they could cross over to the other side. "So, Agent Prentiss forgot to inform me which level she's left my car on. Where do you think she would park?" she asked as they crossed.

"Knowing Emily, she probably went all the way to the top, just to make it a hassle."

"Wonderful. Here's hoping she at least locked the doors. Clarice is my baby."

"You named your car?"

"Yes," Erin replied, blushing. "A juvenile habit that's stuck with me throughout my life, I'm afraid."

"It's not juvenile. My car's named Esther." Penelope snuggled closer to Erin as they got in the elevator with a number of other people. "And before her, I had Nolan. He didn't last too long, though." They were the only ones to ride all the way to the top, and Erin was relieved to see her car in one piece directly across from the elevator. "Wow, is that an Aston Martin?"

"Yes. She's a DB AR1 roadster. I used the money from the divorce to buy her."

"I like the way you think, Babe." Erin knew the term of endearment had just slipped from Penelope's tongue because that's the kind of person she was, but it still warmed her heart. She opened the door for Penelope and then got in herself, starting her car. "Now, about this café. Can we get the order to go?" There was something unspoken to the request, but Erin knew she couldn't deny Penelope anything at the moment.

"Whatever you want, Penny." The drive was quick, though Erin could feel Penelope's eyes on her the entire time. Once, she looked over at the other woman and was rewarded with a beautiful smile that she couldn't help returning. At the café, neither reached out for the other, but she noticed Penelope stood as close as she possibly could to her. When it came time to order, Erin slipped her arm around Penelope's waist and paid for their food.

The bags were up fifteen minutes later and Penelope carried them out to the car, setting them in the back. "Hey, look, she put my go bag back here," she said. "Wonder what she was thinking about that?"

"Who knows? But I'll bet your cell phone is in there if you want to check your messages."

Penelope turned in the seat and opened the bag. "You're right, it was sitting right on top of my clothes. I doubt I have any messages, though." She put her phone in her pocket and smiled at Erin. "So, I get to see your house. How many have been able to claim that privilege?"

"You'll be the second, after David. He's been a dear frenemy for many years now." Penelope giggled and Erin looked at her. "What?"

"I just never expected you to use slang so easily and so well. There are many surprises to you."

"You don't even know the half of it," she replied, pulling into her garage. "Welcome to my home."

They got out and Penelope grabbed her bag while Erin took the food. "Lead on my fearless leader." She held out her hand and Erin took it, threading their fingers together. "A girl could get used to this treatment," Penelope said as she stepped inside the house, setting her bag on the kitchen floor.

"There are glasses in the cupboard next to the sink. Grab whatever you'd like to drink from the fridge," Erin said as she stepped out of her shoes. She turned and grabbed plates from another cupboard, putting them on the table. She was startled by Penelope's hand on her back moments later. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to make sure this is real. That I'm not just dreaming myself into a story book fantasy where I have complete control over the outcome of this."

"And what exactly is this, Penelope?"

"I haven't figured that out yet. I was kind of hoping we could figure it out together." Penelope looked into Erin's eyes, looking for something Erin knew she could give her. She nodded and leaned forward, kissing Penelope tenderly, yearning for the sweet touching of flesh the other woman provided. And she knew that in the end they'd figure everything out, that this was meant to be. She was home.


End file.
